The year ahead in planning

Few can predict the future. But anyone can talk about the future that we’d like to make, so in that spirit I offer up this little list of where I hope planning goes in 2015 and beyond …

More Black, Asian, Brown and everything else. I’m sick of white people. I have to look in the mirror at one every day and then on top of that they’re always moaning about sun screen and Taylor Swift. It’s exhausting. And when you get a bunch of white planners in the room listening to Taylor Swift and talking insights about our increasingly multi-cultural country… well, it just starts to feel out of touch.

More messy-ish. Yes, data is awesome. But I think we all got a bit data-drunk these past few years and forgot that we’re also dealing with people, emotions and the messiness of life. Planning gets sexy-good when we smash the data and the mess together. But to do that well that means we ourselves need to get messy and get out of our offices and focus group backrooms. I hope it happens more.

More love for our Millennials. I know, I know: They’re insufferable employees with their gifs and YOLO BS. But in an ideal world we cradle our Millennial darlings, take the craft of planning and teaching seriously again, and create a kickass next generation of planners. Am I optimistic about this happening? Eh. Can we all take 30 minutes a week to teach a young planner something? Yes. C’mon, people!

More love for the badass (woman). As far as I can tell, we have a rather good representation of women in planning departments. That’s awesome. Let’s take it one step further and honor the new badass breed of woman that’s surging in culture and create brands that tell her story and understand her. We’re getting there - Like A Girl made me cry tears of pride. Let’s keep it going.

Heidi Hackemer is founder and director of strategy for Wolf & Wilhelmine.